[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E989]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   MEMORIAL DAY 2004: HONORING THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES

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                          HON. ANDER CRENSHAW

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 1, 2004

  Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, this past Memorial Day, as we paid tribute 
to the men and women who fought and died to preserve our freedoms in 
the past, our Nation is at war, and once again, members of our military 
are paying the ultimate sacrifice. This Memorial Day as we gathered in 
our towns to pay tributes to the sacrifices of those from past wars, we 
also remembered the burdens of the soldiers and sailors who followed in 
their footsteps and serve us today.
  As in all battles, soldiers and sailors do not go to war to become 
heroes. They do not fight because they enjoy the heat of battle. They 
do not die because they do not love life. They go to war because we, as 
a Nation, ask them to go and because they are honorable. They go 
because they believe deeply in the cause of freedom, and they 
understand the evils of terrorism and the threats it presents to our 
independence. They die because their lives are taken from them on 
battlefields. Nevertheless, the loss of even one life weighs heavily on 
my heart and the heart of every American.
  Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom have once again brought 
our young men and women to the front lines of battle. And, as in the 
past, at the core of America's military are the same type of men and 
women, who like their ancestors, have answered the call to arms. And 
like you, they will draw strength from those who served before them. On 
D-Day, General Dwight Eisenhower spoke to the troops and said, ``You 
are about to embark upon the great crusade toward which we have striven 
these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. . . . I have 
full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in 
battle.'' These same words are as true today as they were on June 6, 
1944.
  This Memorial Day, as in the past, we gathered in cemeteries and in 
parks across America. In Washington, D.C., we dedicated the long 
overdue World War II Memorial. We read markers and inscriptions that 
pay honor to our brave patriots. But, the living commemoration for them 
is not etched in stone on walls or tombstones but in the hearts of free 
men and women.
  To the men and women who have served our nation so well, thank you 
for all that you have done for our country, continue to do to rekindle 
the memories of those who are no longer with us, and the support you 
give to those who carry the burden this day.

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